Background paper prepared for the 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report
Education for people and planet: Creating sustainable futures for all
The Leapfrogging Opportunity:
Role of Education in Sustainable
Development and Climate Change
Mitigation
This paper was commissioned by the Global Education Monitoring Report as background information to assist
in drafting the 2016 report. It has not been edited by the team. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are
those of the author(s) and should not be attributed to the Global Education Monitoring Report or to UNESCO.
The papers can be cited with the following reference: “Paper commissioned for the Global Education Monitoring
Report 2016, Education for people and planet: Creating sustainable futures for all”. For further information,
please contact [email protected].
By Centre for Environment Education (CEE Australia
Incorporated)
2016
Introduction
Recognizing that the current paradigm of development - which is heavily fossil fuel based, and
high on consumption and waste -, is not a viable option for the future, developing countries need
to take an alternative path towards sustainable development. All too often developing countries
merely imitate solutions which are already being discarded in the west. The confidence levels in
their own traditions and good practices are often low. With knowledge which is available today, it
is possible to leapfrog from low levels of development to sustainable development without going
through conventional fossil fuel based economies. Education plays a critical role in this transition.
This paper gives examples of how education plays and can play a vital role in this process.
With the finalization of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), we have, perhaps for the first
time, globally agreed upon goals and targets for sustainable development.
It took many millennia for the planet’s population to reach the one billion mark sometime during
the beginning of the industrial revolution. The next one billion was much faster – it took around
125 years to reach two billion by 1927 (UN, 2015). Soon after World War II, when a large part of
the planet was coming out of years of colonial rule, the population started to grow much faster.
Modern medicine rapidly brought down death rates, while birth rate continued at earlier levels.
Education and especially women’s education, which is a key determinant to family size, was still
very low. With the rapid growth in developing countries, one saw the next billion population
reached in just 33 years; after that in quick succession of just 12 years (Population Institute, 2011)
it rose to reach the current population of seven billion people. By the time the number stabilizes, it
is likely to be closer to 10 billion.
The accelerated population growth has been exerting tremendous pressure on natural resources.
The pressure that humans are putting on the planet can be measured in terms of ecological
footprint represented in hectares. The average ecological footprint of a North American is nearly 7
global hectares (Global Footprint Network, 2014) compared to the Asian average which is close to
2 global hectares (WWF, 2014) (Figure 1). Even among the developed world there are major
differences. For example Europe’s average ecological footprint is just under 5 global hectares,
much less than that of the US. In terms of carbon footprint (measured as tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent) the American footprint is twice that of Europe. The human race, as a whole, already
needs one and one third planets to maintain our current level of development. The business-asusual scenario suggests that at our current rate of consumption we will require nearly two and a
half planets by 2050 (Global Footprint Network, 2015).1
1
This paper was written by Kartikeya Sarabhai and Purvi Vyas of the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) Australia
Incorporated.
2 Figure 1
Compared to pre-industrial level, the average temperature of the planet is already up by 0.85
degree Celsius. Scientists have clearly said that a temperature rise above 2 degree Celsius would be
disastrous. However, all indications are that we are likely to cross this number and face an
increase of 3 to 4 degree Celsius. Clearly the current paradigm of development based on fossil fuelcentric economy, high consumption and high waste, and linear thinking model is not sustainable.
If the large population of the developing world were to imitate this pattern of growth, the
consequences would be disastrous.
Much of the developed world is trying alternatives, and as the UNEP Campaign called it “Kick
the Habit”, the attempt is to find solutions when consumption levels are already very high. In
3 most of the developed countries, infrastructure for populations is in place. Applicable solutions in
such situations are like retrofitting as there is too much at stake in the existing infrastructure.
Thinking of solutions for providing public transport in a city like Los Angeles is very different
than planning a public transport network in a city which is at a much earlier stage of development.
Figure 2
Figure 2 shows a simple diagram indicating the path for progress and development. In the figure,
the terms ‘developed’ mentioned at the top and ‘less developed’ mentioned at the bottom are in
the context of the human development index (HDI). The left and right sides of the figure represent
unsustainable and sustainable solutions respectively. Most developing countries start off being
sustainable but not developed (i.e. low on human development index). In the process of rapidly
developing, these countries unfortunately imitate the current paradigm and try to become
developed, thereby losing the aspect of being sustainable. The challenge and, indeed, the
opportunity is to go straight to a state of sustainable development without having to make
“mistakes” similar to that of developed countries. The campaign for World Environment Day
4 2008, therefore replaced the slogan “kick the habit” with “pick right” to indicate that we could
choose good solutions and leapfrog. Leapfrogging involves choosing from among the best
practices around the globe and adapting these to local conditions. It also encourages linking these
solutions to local traditions where relevant and helping evolve suitable solutions for development
that do not place the planet in peril.
This discussion on leapfrogging as well as Figure 2 are based on the talks and papers of Kartikeya
Sarabhai.
This paper analyzes 21 case studies where we see leapfrogging approaches to development and
where education plays a crucial role. The role education plays varies from educating decision
makers, creating public awareness, training local communities, public involvement through
consultations, visit to demonstration sites, to larger efforts at empowerment and capacity building.
In many cases, education also impact other drivers of change helping resource mobilizations,
policy formation, creation of financial mechanisms and technology selection. The impact of
education varies in each case. In some, the project would not happen but for education, in others
it enhances effectiveness and participation.
Case Study 1 - Brazil and Colombia: Making a success of a new urban transport system
In 2010, greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by the transport sector was 14 percent (IPCC, 2014).
An increase of 11 percent GHG emissions had been observed in this sector in a decade (20002010). Within the transport sector, Light Duty Vehicles (including passenger cars) have the
highest share of GHG emissions (GEA, 2012). In the US, there are about 800 vehicles per 1000
people, whereas for Western Europe this number is 500. Compared to these figures, much of the
developing world is only now witnessing the steep rise in personal vehicles. For instance,
countries like China and Indonesia saw a significant rise in vehicle ownership in a decade 20022012 (US Department of Energy, 2014).
The SDGs, especially target 11.2, talks of providing affordable, safe and sustainable public
transport to all urban citizens. The challenge is that: will we see the number of private vehicles rise
from under 50 (vehicles per 1000 people) in most developing countries to those similar to the west
leading to huge cost, not only due to vehicles but also the infrastructure to sustain mobility of
these vehicles? The leapfrog will only be possible if efficient public transport becomes a viable
option for the majority of citizens. The traditional choice of buses were affordable but slow, while
the metro trains are fast but more expensive. New solutions were required in order to leapfrog and
provide an alternative to the car for people. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is considered
innovative in a way as it provides the speed, efficiency and capacity similar to light rail/metro
system but with an alteration in the simple bus system (Anadkat and Bhatt, 2013). The way it
differs from the conventional bus system is due to the provision of a dedicated bus corridor
segregated from mixed traffic on the road, bus stations and off board fare collection system (ITDP,
5 2015). This case study highlights the importance of learning from experiences or best practices,
role of organizations in sharing knowledge and acting as a catalyst in the adoption of an
appropriate model, information provision and stakeholder engagement while planning the system
and role of education in the acceptance of the new model of public transport and changing
behaviour of citizens.
Mr. Jamie Lerner, in his role as the mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, in the 1970s, pioneered the BRT
system to provide an inexpensive alternative to urban train/metro system to address mobility
issues (Reed, 2015). Being aware of the success of Curitiba’s BRT system, Mr. Enrique Penalosa,
the mayor of Bogota, Colombia, identified this model to address transportation issues in the city.
Delegation visits to study the Curitiba model and to adapt it to the local situation was the key
approach used by Bogota to design a suitable BRT system for the city (The World Bank Group,
2011). The system in Bogota was initiated in the 1990s and it serves as a good example of scaling
up and adapting a transportation model for a large and complex city. Curitiba and Bogota
advocated the BRTS model which went on to become an exemplary initiative for many cities
around the world to provide an innovative transportation solution. This led to visits of
government officials or transport professionals from different parts of the world, including Mr.
Gordon Linton (Administrator of the United States Federal Transit Agency in 1998), to these
cities to understand the model and identify the possibility of its implementation. Following such
visits, various cities started planning and implementing this model. However, experiences of some
of the cities like San Jose in Costa Rica and Puebla in Mexico were not successful as they
implemented the same Curitiba model (The World Bank Group, 2011). This draws attention to
the fact that adaptation of this model to the local context of cities is required. It also highlighted
the importance of engaging experts who can help and facilitate the adaptation of the BRTS model
to the specific requirements of cities.
Organizations like the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and the
World Resource Institute’s EMBARQ network have played a crucial role in promoting the BRTS
model as well as implementing it (Pardo, 2012). For example, ITDP has designed BRT in
Guangzhou - China; provided technical support to Mexico city – Mexico, Rio de Janeiro and Belo
Horizonte – Brazil, and Jakarta – Indonesia in the preparation and implementation of the system;
helped Jakarta - Indonesia to develop a communication strategy for stakeholders; and developed
BRTS rating standards identifying key elements from the best practices that can guide decision
makers to opt for an appropriate model for delivering quality services (Hook, 2013; Kumar et al.,
2012). Similarly, EMBARQ has contributed by providing support to various cities including
Ahmedabad – India, Guadalajara – Mexico, Istanbul - Turkey, Mexico City – Mexico, and Rio de
Janeiro – Brazil, in the planning and implementation of BRTS (Michell, 2013). These
organizations share their research and experiential learning through seminars, workshops and
publications. The knowledge shared and support received through these organizations benefit
cities in reducing time and cost in the planning and implementation of BRTS projects (Dalkmann
in Michell, 2013). There are useful resources such as ‘The BRT Planning Guide’ developed by
6 these institutes helping decision makers and designers to plan such a system. ITDP and EMBARQ
have initiated C40 BRT Network with the aim of providing a platform to cities for the sharing of
experience, skills and knowledge through workshops and webinars, enabling improvements in the
BRT model and faster implementation of this model in cities (Bates, 2013). There are 197 cities
around the world that have accepted BRTS model as a suitable option for public transport
(EMBARQ, 2015). Some of these cities have implemented this model and others are at the
planning stage or establishing infrastructure.
The success of any public transport depends on its use by citizens. Education can promote
acceptance of a new system as well as influence people to change their travel habits. In case of
Bogota, Mayor Penalosa encouraged the use of BRTS by raising awareness of the inhabitants by
highlighting its benefits and providing user instructions. He conducted public education
campaigns that led to acceptance and successful implementation of this system. The daily
ridership has increased from 800,000 in 2001 to 1.7 million in 2013 (Cervero, 2013). In Bogota, 9
percent of commuters have shifted to BRTS from using private vehicles (UNDP, 2012). Mayor
Penalosa considers advocacy and campaigns important to reduce any stigma associated with the
use of alternative mode of transport (public transport and bike) and encourage its use (Grunow,
2012).
For acceptance and use of BRT system, engagement of different stakeholders from planning to
post-implementation stages of the system is crucial. Different ways of engaging stakeholders
through communication strategy include: stakeholder consultation; provision of information
through brochures, seminars and workshops; information campaigns; using media to disseminate
information; and providing free bus trip trials. In India, Ahmedabad and Delhi had put
communication strategies in place. The way these strategies were implemented impacted the
outcome. In the case of Ahmedabad, a “…continuous, interactive and comprehensive (engaging
advocates and antagonists alike)..” strategy was used throughout the process continuously from
planning to post implementation stage (Rizvi, 2014). It harnessed the potential of media to
address concerns and put forward balanced views related to the system to gain support from
citizens. For Delhi, the strategy that was implemented was fragmented with gaps in between and
did not include private vehicle owners and metro train users. The awareness raising initiatives
about the system were inadequate. During the operation of the BRT system in Delhi, private
vehicle owners criticized the system blaming them for reducing available road space for these
users and generating congestion. This was highlighted and publicized in the media leading to
discussions of scrapping the system (Rizvi, 2014).
The Jakarta BRTS project in Indonesia, anticipating the possibility of resistance from private
vehicle users, designed an aggressive communication plan using different media which covered
the planning, delivery, and operation stages of the project. It also recruited a media manager that
worked with journalists to build a positive image of the system. This has benefited in gaining
wider acceptance of the public transport among people (Kumar et al., 2012). A survey conducted
7 to understand the impact of this new system in Jakarta revealed that 20 percent private vehicle
users shifted to BRTS (Kumar et al., 2012). All these examples suggest that communication is
critical for successful implementation of public transport systems. Communication and public
participation have become key components of developing and implementing the BRTS model as
propagated by various agencies (Wright and Hook, 2007).
During planning and operationalization stages, engagement of existing transport service operators
(e.g. buses, taxis, and other informal modes) through various ways (e.g. communication strategy,
consultation) is essential to generate an understanding of their integration in the new system and
create a sense of acceptance/ownership. This can help in reducing any fears generated among
these stakeholders regarding the negative impact of this new system on their livelihood. For
example, in the case of Johannesburg, South Africa, inadequate communication among
stakeholders (local government and two private taxi organizations) at an early stage of the
discussion of implementation of public transport systems led to lack of trust among the parties.
Once the local government identified BRT system as a suitable option and in spite of a
communication strategy in place, it took a long time to engage the private taxi operators and reach
an agreement. Finally, the taxi operators were made shareholders in the company operating the
BRT system and drivers were trained and integrated in the system (Allen, 2013). In the case of
Lagos, Nigeria, the local government engaged different stakeholders in a communication
programme right from the beginning of the project (including planning and implementation
stages). The communication programme used a variety of means such as electronic and print
media, and developing ambassadors, and trained private mini bus drivers to be part of the new
transport system. In fact, the government continued with the communication programme to share
information about the operation of new systems (e.g. fare collection) through television. This
helped Lagos to avoid any deadlock with stakeholders and the project was implemented relatively
quickly (Kumar et al., 2012).
The impact in terms of modal shift from private vehicles to use of BRTS in Curitiba, Brazil,
indicated a shift of 28 percent of car users to BRTS, based on a survey conducted in 1991
(Goodman et al, 2005). However, in the case of Ahmedabad, India (Mahadevia et al, 2013) and
Istanbul, Turkey (Yazici et al, 2013), a similar study conducted to understand the impact of BRTS
suggest that there has been minimal shift in terms of private vehicles opting for BRTS. In
Ahmedabad 12 percent of private vehicles users shifted to BRTS, whereas, in Istanbul it was just 4
percent. In both cases, the majority of BRTS users were public transport users before introduction
of this system. In Ahmedabad this share was 47 percent* and in Istanbul it was 83 percent**. In
this case, academic institutions and other organizations can play a role in inquiring into the
challenges that are preventing the modal shift and collaboratively come up with a suitable
solution. Education has a key role to play in terms of encouraging people to use public transport.
* In Ahmedabad, 47 percent of users shifted from Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service buses
to BRTS.
8 ** In Istanbul, 55 percent of users of Istanbul Public Transport Authority (IETT) buses, 18 percent
of users of private public buses, 9 percent of users of minibus shifted to BRTS/Metrobus.
Case Study 2 – Africa and India: Training local communities to make energy self-sufficient
villages
(i) From uneducated to solar engineers
According to the estimate of the International Energy Agency (IEA, 2015a) 1.2 billion people did
not have access to electricity as of 2013 and more than half of this population is residing in SubSaharan Africa, China and India (IEA, 2015b). The challenge that lies ahead is provision of access
to energy to the remotest parts in these regions. However, at the same time it is an opportunity to
come up with innovative and alternative solutions to address the issue of energy poverty. This
case study highlights the efforts of the Barefoot College (non-governmental organization, India) to
provide off-grid solutions to access basic services like electricity, water and education. But
considering the scope of this paper, we discuss only about access to solar energy here. The
leapfrogging aspect in this case is access to electricity generated using renewable source of energy.
The period of implementation of the Millennium Development Goals has clearly demonstrated
that a top-down and donor-dominated approach is a weak one to achieve targets (Higgins, 2013).
Thus, it is imperative to opt for an alternative approach which is more inclusive and bottom-up.
This case study emphasizes that the methods required to achieve SDGs demand a paradigm shift
from the mainstream systems - formal education and dependence on grid solutions to provide
basic services.
The organization – Barefoot College - follows the Gandhian philosophy of achieving self-reliance
through a decentralization model enabling the community to gain access to basic services that
fulfill their needs. The emphasis is on using traditional knowledge of communities and
empowering them to solve their own problems (Remedios and Rao, 2013).
This case study highlights different education components – (i) personal experiences that led to the
foundation of the Barefoot College, (ii) refinement or improvement in the model/approach by
exploring possibilities, and (iii) hands on experience or learning by doing model to empower
women with skills to become solar engineers. Mr. Bunker Roy’s encounter with sufferings (e.g.
poverty) of people at grassroots level, during his volunteer work experience as a post graduate
student in Bihar at the time of a famine in mid 1960s, left an impact on his mind to an extent that
he took the decision to work in villages (Roy, 2011; Barefoot College, 2015). Following this
experience, in 1967 he moved to Tilonia, a remote village in the state of Rajasthan in India, to
find ways to address the issue of poverty. During the span of five years (until 1971) he stayed with
the local community and understood their problems and requirements. He realized that the
education and knowledge he possessed through formal the education system was of no use in this
situation. The ‘unlearning’ process taught him that the local communities have knowledge and
9 skills which formal systems do not value or recognize. The key learning was that if people are
empowered with the required capacity, then they can “solve problems, make choices and have the
confidence to act upon them” (Roy and Hartigan, 2008).
In 1972, Roy along with a farmer from Tilonia initiated the discussion on “…grafting formal
urban knowledge on rural wisdom to create a world without want” (Barefoot College, 2015). This
led to the foundation of Social Work and Research Centre (widely known as Barefoot College)
whose substantial work began in 1974-75 focused on health and education, with enthusiasts (e.g.
doctors, social workers, economists) from urban areas joining the team. The programmes
addressed the ground realities and were context specific, addressing the need of the community.
For example, night school provided education to those children that missed day school to perform
chores and helping their family (Roy and Hartigan, 2008). The curriculum includes content on
learning about democracy, measuring land, and treating sick animals (Roy, 2011). However, by
the early 1980s, the members from urban areas in the team gradually left the college and the rural
community (especially illiterate youth) took charge of decision making, planning and
implementing different activities (Barefoot College, 2015). It was a lesson learned - it stressed the
importance of the rural community taking leadership as “…dependence on urban expertise and
paper credentials did damage the mind-set of the rural poor…” (Remedios and Rao, 2013). Thus,
the initial years of learning have played an important role in informing the ideology of the college.
These include four key components – “alternative education, valuing traditional knowledge and
skills, learning for self-reliance, and dissemination of knowledge and technology” (Roy, 2012).
The Barefoot College started promoting the use of solar energy since the late 1980s (Roy and
Joshi, 2003). The college runs on electricity generated from solar panels installed on the campus.
The community selects semi-literate and illiterate/unschooled women from remote rural areas
without access to electricity, to participate in the Solar Engineer Programme offered by the
college. This college is for the poor and managed by the poor. Anyone with a degree is
disqualified to participate in programmes offered by this college. Women are given preference for
this training as it is likely that they will stay in their village and serve the community; but if men
are trained, then chances are high that they leave the village for better opportunities (Roy, 2015).
These women undergo a six months training programme in which they acquire the skills to
become solar engineers. The programme uses a hands-on-learning or learning by doing approach
to impart training. Methods like colour code, drawings and memorization are used. The tutors are
local community members who have been through this programme and now act as master
trainers. After undergoing this training, women can fabricate, install, maintain and repair systems
(e.g. solar lanterns). On completion of the course, these barefoot solar engineers are given a solar
equipment/kit (consisting of solar lanterns, fans, TV) the one time investment for which is made
by funding agencies (e.g. UNDP). The village has to form a committee which monitors the
progress of the project and ensure provision of salary (collected from community members as
maintenance charges) to the barefoot solar engineer. Not only electrification but other provisions
like solar heater, solar cooker, and solar powered desalination solution for drinking water are
10 taken care of by these engineers (Remedios and Rao, 2013). The barefoot engineers play the role
of trainers in their village to build capacity of youth and other women (Remedios and Rao, 2013).
There are 859 barefoot solar engineers trained as a part of this programme from 64 countries
(including India) from Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Pacific region. There are 1081 villages
around the world which solar engineers have electrified using solar energy (Remedios and Rao,
2013). The success of this programme in India led to the participation of women from other
countries in it since 1989 (Barefoot College, 2012a). These women and trainers overcome the
language barrier by using gestures/sign language and demonstrations to learn (Bhowmick, 2011).
As Roy (Slavin, 2015) says, the aim is not only to make these women solar engineers, but the idea
is also to build leadership capacity and confidence in these women by putting them in a new
environment and meeting peers from other countries. Funding for this activity (building capacity
of women from other countries) comes from various donor agencies such as the Ministry of
External Affairs and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India; UN
Women and UNDP; ENEL: Green Power; and Skoll Foundation, which covers various costs like
fees for the training programme and airfare (Remedios and Rao, 2013).
There are 14 other organizations in India that have followed the Barefoot college model to address
local problems. For example, Himalaya Vikas Samiti Mission in Uttarakhand which implements
rainwater harvesting and solar energy solutions (Remedios and Rao, 2013) is using this model.
These organizations and Barefoot College have formed a network called SAMPDA to develop,
facilitate exchange, promote and implement innovative low cost solutions. At the international
level, discussion and planning is going on to develop more learning centres – six in Arica, one in
the Pacific region and one in Central America (Remedios and Rao, 2013).
There are several socio-economic and environmental benefits associated with this programme.
This case study shows how education and training of semi-literate and illiterate women has helped
to break the stereotype that women are not good at dealing with technology and a formal degree is
required to handle technology. Women have been able to overcome social barriers like caste
system and purdah system (covering face) to take up this opportunity. This programme has
empowered women with skills that enable them to earn their livelihood. The income generated
from this activity provides economic benefits that help in family well-being. For example, in India,
income generation from this activity has helped Santosh Devi, one of the barefoot solar engineers
to build her own house (Bhowmick, 2011). In addition to this, women take a leadership role and
serve the community to fulfil its basic necessities. Other socio-economic benefits include
substantial savings on expenses for purchasing kerosene or battery, and reduction in work load for
women who would have had to get and use kerosene or biofuel. Women take advantage of this
opportunity and invest time in productive activities which further provide economic benefits. As
communities replace use of kerosene by solar energy, air pollution and related health risks are
reduced. Mr. Dashrath Kumar, a local community member associated with the Barefoot College,
states that “what the education system could not provide me, I achieved that in Tilonia….chance
to go to Ethiopia for surveying, open-mindedness, communication skills, social interaction and
11 practical knowledge…” (Remedios and Rao, 2013). According to an estimation, 50 to 95 percent
of communities have successfully replaced kerosene lamps with solar lanterns (Remedios and
Rao, 2013). As estimated by Roy and Joshi (2003), use of solar lighting systems by rural
households has helped to avoid 60,000 tons of carbon emissions during 1989-2001.
The experience in Sierra Leone suggests that this programme has also had policy level impact. In
1989, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Education Mr Minkailu Bah’s encounter with three barefoot
solar engineers/solar grandmothers who were trained in India, and their work to electrify their
village using solar energy, drew his attention. He shared this information with the President Mr.
Ernest Bai Koroma, and cabinet members visited the village to learn more about this initiative.
This led to the government of Sierra Leone investing USD 820,000 to start the first Barefoot
College in Africa (Barefoot College, 2012).
The scaling up efforts of this initiative are at two levels. The first is when barefoot solar engineers,
after undergoing the course in Tilonia (India), train other community members in her village.
There is an implicit component of capacity building for leadership in the training programme that
contributes to the scaling up efforts and sustainability of the project. The programme has been able
to showcase substantial and very tangible outcomes. This has enabled to gain financial support
from governmental, non-governmental and international donor agencies. For the sustainability of
the project, the community members, especially barefoot solar engineers, played a crucial role as
they had acquired necessary skills to address any issue encountered with the equipment, post
implementation of the project. Thus, it is important to educate and build capacity of the local
community to maintain the system instead of just introducing new technology. A case of Niger
delta demonstrates that in spite of successful introduction of solar-powered water pumps for access
to drinking water, the project failed due to lack of community’s capacity to sustain it ,as stated by
a senior researcher from the International Institute for Environment and Development in London,
UK (Best in Slavin, 2015). The second level of scaling up is establishing more learning centres like
the Barefoot College in different parts of the world. As the programme has already demonstrated
its impact and outcomes, it becomes easier to mobilize financial and human resource.
(ii) Dharani – Solar Village in India
The village of Dharanai in Bihar, India, which had been living in darkness for 30 years, achieved
illumination through micro grids operated by solar powered panels. These panels were based on
distributed micro grid setup (bottom up approach) and community ownership. Micro grids
running on solar powered panels were installed on government buildings, private buildings and
rooftops of residences, to provide energy independence to the village. Training and capacity
building along with awareness amongst the community has contributed to the success,
sustainability and scalability of the project.
12 Community acceptance of the project was gained through campaigning for creating awareness
about the concept of solar energy and its utilization amongst the villagers, leading to their
involvement from the start of the project. Mobilizing the people of the village to operate and
maintain the micro grid was achieved through face to face interactions and demonstrations at
group meetings where the benefits of the same were communicated.
As skill based training is an integral part of the operation and maintenance of the micro grid,
training was provided to local technicians enabling them to set up, monitor, repair and support the
micro grid and resolve any technical issues. The working of the micro grid is handled by the
Village Electrification Committee (VEC) formed in four clusters (tolas) of the village. The VEC is a
20 member committee in charge of maintenance and tariff fixing based on consultation with the
villagers, and acts as an interface between the operators and the residents.
Demand based scale up of the micro grid emphasizes its bottom-up approach. This model is being
used as a successful demonstration at various levels. Scaling up of the concept through
communication with policy makers is also being undertaken, ensuring better replication and
policy intervention.
(iii) Solar Sister – Renewable Energy Project, Africa
As mentioned earlier, with a large population that do not have access to electricity residing in the
sub-Saharan Africa region, especially rural areas, it is a challenge to provide them access to This
case study draws attention to the innovative approach used by the social enterprise Solar Sister to
provide access to safe and affordable clean energy to the population in Uganda, Rwanda, South
Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria (UNFCCC, 2012; Climate Reality Project, 2015). The
leapfrogging aspect in this case is the provision of electricity using a renewable source of energy
through off grid solutions. The education components that have made a difference were at three
levels: (a) experience and learning at the personal level that led to initiation of the Solar Sister, (b)
training, capacity building, personal experiences and communication used in the programme to
bring about environmental and social change, and (c) organizational learning that is helping to
improve the work of the organization.
The process of social innovation suggests that the ‘need not being made’ has to be identified
through various means including careful observation, followed by identifying new ways or
possibilities to meet the need through deriving new knowledge or trying unrelated ideas. Piloting
these ideas is an important step as “the experience of trying to make them work speeds up their
evolution, and the power of example then turns out to be persuasive as written argument or
advocacy” (Mulgan, 2006). Ms. Katherine Lucey, as a banker earlier, was engaged in projects that
built large scale power plants to provide electricity. From her experience, she learned that these
plants were benefiting cities and industries, but a large number of the population still lives in
darkness without access to electricity in rural areas. Ms. Lucey’s experience of working in rural
Africa made her realize the potential of solar energy to reduce energy poverty through
13 engagement of women in this task. Women are considered as key stakeholders because they are
most affected by the lack of electricity while also being the decision makers in choosing from the
available energy sources (usually kerosene) to light their household (Lucey, 2015). The lack of
access to the conventional source of energy (electricity grid) gave way to an alternative solution in
the form of products like solar lantern and solar charger through Solar Sister’s work. The ‘Avon
style’2 business model of direct marketing of these products was used by Solar Sister, thus making
women entrepreneurs reach out to the community and filling the gap of ‘last mile distributor’ in
the market, which was marked by an absence of distribution channels (David South, 2011; Misra,
2011). Solar Sister started with a small pilot phase in rural areas of Uganda in 2010 engaging
women to test the idea. Following a successful trial, a full-fledged programme was initiated in
2011 covering a larger rural territory in Uganda (Solar Sister, 2013).
The main office of Solar Sister overlooks the functions of the programme, with regional
coordinators keeping in touch with women entrepreneurs. The organization gets solar energy
products from firms like Angaza Design and D.Light Design which are bought by women
entrepreneurs at wholesale prices to sell in their community. These women rely on their social
networks for sale. The organization uses ‘Micro Consignment Model’ (MCM) for recruitment
(Arc Finance, 2012). Any woman that joins this initiative is given a start-up kit which consists of
inventory (solar lanterns and chargers), and training and marketing tools - like flyers, posters,
stickers, t-shirts, business bag and ledgers to keep sales record – to use when communicating with
individuals or showcasing at an event. The entrepreneur/partner can pay for the inventory once
she starts earning or return the kit in case of no sale. Solar Sister provides training for marketing
and business skills. With increase in sales, and when earning reaches up to USD 300, the
entrepreneur can be part of the local micro finance institution (Arc Finance, 2012) and can further
expand her work.
The Solar Sister entrepreneurs market and sell solar equipment through sharing of their experience
in using them and highlighting their benefits in the context of the customer. These women know
their community very well and trust already exists between them and their customers, which helps
to gain sales. In addition to this, personal experiences also drive changes. For example, Ms.
Umoh Ebango from Nigeria came to know about the solar equipment from her sister who was
already a Solar Sister entrepreneur. She not only bought and used these products, but she also
became an entrepreneur herself (Solar Sister, 2015a). Information sharing through word of mouth
by customers has also helped in reaching more community members. An example of this is Mr.
Martin Oketayot, a school teacher in Uganda, who has been using a solar lantern, and spreads the
word among his students about its benefits (Albi et al., 2013a). Solar Sister also keeps some of the
2
Avon is a company that sells beauty products through direct marketing.
14 clean energy products for demonstration in schools, clinics and community centres so that
community members can see the benefits (Lucey, 2015) and promote the use of this technology.
The approaches used by the Solar Sister can be associated to transformative learning. As stated by
Taylor, (in Schapiro et al., 2012) dialogue is crucial to bring about change. It “…becomes the
medium for critical reflection to be put into action, where experience is reflected on, assumption
and beliefs are questioned, and habits of mind are ultimately transformed” (Taylor in Schapiro et
al., 2012). Here the author refers to dialogue as “…relational and trustful communication” (Taylor
in Schapiro et al., 2012).
The organization gives importance to training – formal and informal - and mentoring to enhance
the capacity of entrepreneurs make them skillful salespersons. For formal training, it has a
‘Training and Talent Development’ programme, which includes a specific curriculum for training
entrepreneurs, field staff and staff in office. Through this programme, trainings are implemented
directly as well as using ‘training of trainers’ model through which the capacity of regional
coordinators are built to train entrepreneurs (Solar Sister, 2015b). As a part of this training,
women entrepreneurs learn to map their social network as much of their sales are dependent on it.
The channel of communication between regional coordinators and entrepreneurs/partners is
maintained well which helps in problem solving (Harris and Kor, 2013). Also there are group
meetings where the regional coordinator meets partners and encourages the peer learning process
in terms of learning from each other, to increase sales or tackle any challenge (Arc Finance, 2012).
As described by Levitt and March (1988), “organizations are seen as learning by encoding
inferences from histories into routines (e.g. procedures, rules and strategies) that guide behaviour”.
For Solar Sister, their experiences over time have informed their strategies of work. Interactions of
the regional coordinators with partners have provided insights and knowledge that has helped
them to adapt their model. For example, inventories are assigned depending upon the regional
coordinators’ understanding of their partners’ sales capacity (Arc Finance, 2012). The feedback
from entrepreneurs proves valuable. For example, one of the entrepreneurs provided a feedback
related to queries regarding post sales service - e.g. repair (Petersen, 2012). This led to addition of
a new component in the distribution channel. In 2012, some of the selected entrepreneurs from all
over Uganda participated in a technical training to gain skills in providing post-market service
(e.g. repair) for the products they sell (Lucey, 2012). The solar equipment producers who sell their
products through this network also benefit from the feedback of women entrepreneurs as it them
to better design their products or devise strategies to address the needs of the local community.
For example, Angaza Design used Solar Sister to evaluate the feasibility of their new product
SoLite3 based on the model of incremental purchase of energy (Albi et al., 2013b).
This case study brings out the multiple benefits of introducing clean energy products in the
African community to address issues related to energy poverty, climate change, women
empowerment, economic empowerment and family well-being. Replacing the use of kerosene by
solar lanterns helps to avoid 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, on an average, during the
15 lantern’s lifetime (SEED, 2015). Avoiding use of kerosene and promoting use of efficient cook
stoves reduce indoor pollution benefiting the health of individuals. There are about 1200 women
entrepreneurs in Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria earning an income from their association with
Solar Sister (SEED, 2015). Use of products that run on renewable energy source helps save cost
on electricity or money spent to buy kerosene. As women start earning an income, they become
less dependent on their husbands and can make choices (e.g. using extra income to educate their
children) to improve their family’s well-being. This gives women decision making power in their
family and community. Women and communities are empowered by transferring skills and
enabling them to address their own problems rather than being dependent on external agencies or
financial resources. Solar Sister has managed to provide benefits of access to energy to 180,000
people (SEED, 2015) in sub-Saharan Africa including the ones residing in remote rural areas.
Solar Sister has been able to reach out to the community because of networking and partnerships
with local NGOs, as well as women directly approaching the community. It started work in
Uganda and within a duration of five years, it has spread its operation to four other countries
(Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Kenya). As stated by Contes (2015), “…one of the reasons
of its (Solar Sister’s) success is the continuous investment in its entrepreneurs’ leadership skills.”
This case study demonstrates very well that investment in skill development of women and
renewable energy can help achieve multiple sustainable development goals (SDGs) related to
energy, climate change, poverty, education, gender equality and employment.
Case Study 3 – China: Building capacity of key stakeholders to harness clean energy
China, one of the largest economies of the world, consumed nearly 20 percent of global energy
and emitted more than 20 percent of carbon dioxide in 2012 (Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory and China Energy Group, 2014). For energy generation, China is heavily dependent
(more than 50 percent) on non-renewable sources such as coal and oil (Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory and China Energy Group, 2014). However, the country has been putting in
lot of effort since the 1990s (initiated by the Chinese government and the UN agencies) to use
renewable sources for energy generation. The initiative undertaken by China is in the right
direction and it could help to achieve the SD Goal 7: “…increase substantially the share of
renewable energy in the global energy mix” (UNDESA, 2015), which is essential to reduce GHG
mitigation by adopting new and cleaner technologies. Since 1990s, China has managed to provide
electricity to 99 percent of its rural population (Niez, 2010) and 400,000 households were
electrified using renewable energy (solar energy) from 1999-2010 (The World Bank, 2011). Thus,
it has managed to avoid the use of coal/oil and directly harness the potential of renewable sources
for electricity generation. The case study also looks at the increasing share of energy generated
using renewable sources and energy conservation.
From 1950s to 1990s, China had initiated small scale hydropower plants, and use of wind, solar
and biomass for energy generation to electrify rural households. This shift towards the use of
renewable energy sources was initiated to strengthen long term use of such available local
16 resources; during and after the 1990s, the aim was to achieve energy security with importance
being given to environmental conservation (Luo, 2004). The introduction of alternative sources of
energy began with trial and error (e.g. failure of adequate utilization of biogas) followed by
conscious efforts to change the energy scenario in the country. In the 1980s, the World Bank’s
engagement with the Chinese government helped to boost investment in the energy sector with
focus on energy efficiency. It also helped to train some of the Chinese officials in project
management. The United Nations Development Programme - Global Environment Facility
(UNDP-GEF), along with other government agencies, co-financed a grant that helped to initiate
renewable energy projects in 1999. As a part of such projects funded by international agencies, a
key benefit for China was studies conducted in the energy sector to enable an informed decision
making process for designing energy strategies (Martinot, 2001). Andrews-Speed (2010) stated that
the World Bank influenced the policy formulation for energy sector by convincing the Chinese
government that “…market forces could and should be introduced to the domestic energy sector,
even to the electrical power,..”. In addition to this, the Chinese government referred to learnings
from the European Union and the United States (UNESCAP, 2012) to gain knowledge on policies
related to renewable energy. The government also promoted capacity building of workers by
training them in these countries with the aim to enhance their technical skills for wind and solar
energy sector (Vos and Sawin, 2012).
The UNDP-GEF co-funded project “Rapid Commercialization of Renewable Energy in China”
was initiated with the aim of introducing and commercializing renewable energy technologies in
the identified sectors. In this process, capacity building, demonstration projects and formation of
an enabling body/institution to provide support for facilitation, formed the key education
components. The Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA) was established to
facilitate acceptance of the renewable energy technologies in the market on a large scale. It geared
up the market by offering training programmes for industries, sharing information on technology
and market development, and organizing study tours. It also acted as a platform for networking
and helped to connect research institutes, regulatory authorities and industries. Demonstration
projects for biogas production and bagasse cogeneration plants of industrial scale were set up in a
few places. Workshops and study tours at these sites or in other countries organized for
developers, financers and end users helped accelerate the spread of these technologies. This
project built the capacity of local organizations for wind resource assessments; shared
international best practices for the use of wind energy; set up standards for solar heathers; and
helped initiate testing and certification centres. To raise the awareness of financers and get their
support to fund the implementation of renewable energy technologies, several training
programmes and workshops were held on business development and financing (UNDP/GEF,
2007).
Building on the experience of the Chinese government, and with an aim to strengthen efforts for
rural electrification, demonstration projects for provision of power through hybrid systems in
villages were set up at five-six locations initially. Capacity building exercises were conducted for
17 different stakeholders such as engineers, operators and manufacturers to help smooth functioning
of the systems. Further, a curriculum and training programme was developed for engineers and
system operators on the basis of the evaluation of this project and the entire experience (UN,
2007). All these efforts suggest that education was explicitly used as a tool to put in gear systems
for change.
The available literature states that policy learning takes place for policy makers and other
stakeholders associated with the policy making process. Here policy learning refers to “a process
that helps deliberately adjusting goals, rules and techniques of a given policy in response to past
experiences and new information” (Hall in Mah and Hills, 2010). The study on ‘pricing policies
for wind energy in China’ which was conducted by Mah and Hills (2010) illustrates and gives us
an idea about the policy learning that happened throughout the transition phase (introduction of
renewable energy and incremental replacement of non-renewable energy sources) for policy
makers and other stakeholders. The key observation made by the authors suggests a progression in
learning, from technical to conceptual. As explained in this paper, drawing from the literature
review (Gouldson et al; Fiorino; Glasbergen in Mah and Hills, 2010), technical learning pertains
to acceptance, implementation and addition of a new policy instrument without deliberating on its
objectives, adaptation and contextualization. Conceptual learning is the successive level of
learning which refines policy and its goals after deliberation on problems and adjusts strategies
accordingly. An example of technical learning in this case is use of “repay plus profit” policy
which was used for other energy projects but without any reflexive activity. The pricing policies
for wind energy were sunsequently changed in response to environmental concerns (policy
formulation reflecting on the problem) which demonstrates conceptual learning. New knowledge,
information and availability of data aided the transition from the technical to conceptual level of
learning. For example, availability of wind data enabled the government to make a well informed
choice - to opt for fixed price policy for wind energy (Mah and Hills, 2010). However, it was
noticed that the social learning (the highest form of learning) was constrained. As described by
Glasbergen (in Mah and Hills, 2010), social learning “…emphasizes social context and social
forces in shaping the policy process”. Andrews-Speed (2012) has mentioned that policy making in
China lies in the hands of a few stakeholders which makes discourse on policy formulation
communicative rather than coordinative discourse, which engages the wider society.
The central government provided a broad framework for pricing policy in the wind energy sector.
The provinces were free to choose an appropriate pricing policy at the local level. This enabled
experimentation in the implementation of policy measures, generated learnings and helped in
refining policy instruments (Korsnes, 2014). Some of the successful local policies were adopted at
the national level (Andrews-Speed, 2012). There were some unintended outcomes of this process
but as Mah and Hills (2010) state, these learnings were important in designing better policies.
Over the years, the energy policies have been revised and constantly updated (UNESCAPE,
2012).
18 In 1990, the electricity generation mix included approximately 100 terrawatt-hours of energy
generated from renewable sources, while in 2008 it increased to nearly 500 terrawatt-hours (Zhang
et al., 2013). China’s power generation capacity from renewable energy sources in 2013 has
increased more than three times, compared to the base year 2005 (International Renewable
Energy Agency, 2014). This project has substantially influenced policy making. One of the
outputs - ‘China Biogas Project Development Guidebook’ - was used by the government authority
to develop a Biogas National Action Plan and Biomass Strategy (UNDP/GEF, 2007). CREIA
also provided inputs to the government for policy formulation. For example, it developed a white
paper on renewable energy policy which was referred in the renewable energy policy review. A
Village Power Project Development Guidebook was used by the government for the training on
the ‘National Township Electrification Programme’ (Martinot, 2003). The overall impacts of this
project suggest that it has helped to generate demand for renewable energy and convinced
financers to invest in these technologies, while experience and knowledge sharing facilitated
policy makers to set up or improve legal frameworks and programmes.
Case Study 4 – Guatemala: Building capacity and raising awareness of the community to
consume local food
The different stages of food systems, including agriculture, pre-production (e.g. production of
fertilizers) and post-production (e.g. packaging), contribute to GHG emissions accounting for 1929 percent of the global emissions (Vermeulen et al, 2012). Agricultural production activities
contributes the maximum to the emissions, whereas emissions from pre- production and postproduction processes vary, but are lower than production (especially agriculture) processes. The
post-production stage includes processing, storing, packaging, transport, refrigeration and retail
activities which have GHG emissions associated with it. The challenge lies in “ensuring
sustainable consumption and production patterns” (SDG 12).
This case demonstrates that along with climate change mitigation, other goals like promoting
nutritious food for good health, empowering women and reducing poverty, and sustainable
management of natural resources (e.g. forests) can be achieved simultaneously. In this case,
consumption of native edible seeds - Maya nuts - is revived by the introduction and promotion of
new recipes and use of low carbon intensive processing methods, instead of conventional ones.
The education component in this case is sharing information and building capacity by conducting
workshops on using the nuts; conducting campaigns to raise awareness on the nutritional benefits
of Maya nuts and encourage its use; and sustainably managing forests. The Maya nut trees are
native to Central America and their nuts were widely used by the ancient Mayan people. Its use
had declined over the years due to lack of knowledge and its association as the poor man’s food or
famine crop (Walker, 2010). However, through the efforts of several institutions (Maya Nut
Institute, BanRural, Rainforest Alliance, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of
Agriculture) and the local community, consumption of these nuts which have more nutritioon
value than other crops is being revived. Traditionally, these nuts were used in the ground up form
19 or mixed with the core meal, but this project has helped to use new techniques and introduce
Maya nut flour to prepare a variety of items such as cookies, breads and cakes.
Once available in abundance, these trees are now threatened due to pressure from various human
activities like land being used for agriculture and use of Maya nut trees as firewood. Hence,
sustainably harvesting these nuts is important. Members of the women’s cooperative ANSA –
Alimentos Nutri-Naturales Sociedad Anonima - buy nuts from rural women collectors and
engage in various processes such as washing, drying, roasting, grinding andprocessing, besides
administrative and financial activities. Women are trained using an ‘action learning’ approach to
acquire the relevant skills for these processes through workshops; they also gain an understanding
on topics such as health benefits of these nuts and the importance of forest conservation. These
women go on to conduct awareness campaigns to promote inclusion of Maya nuts in regular diet.
To provide training in the community, these local women use pictographs as teaching material
and convey new concepts by relating it to the local context, thus increasing chances of acceptance.
Besides, the women already trained through this programme act as educators to train nearby
communities. This has helped in sustaining and scaling up the efforts with minimal financial
resources (Vohman, 2015). Different ways of processing Maya nuts, use of storage facilities and
post-harvest handling were experimented on resulting in 20 percent reduction in loss of nuts.
These tried and tested methods will also be shared by developing manuals (Vohman, 2014a).
The institutes and collectors have developed forest monitoring tools which the ANSA women use
to estimate harvest quantity, and manage their business sustainably avoiding negative impacts on
the ecosystem (Vohman and Buffle, 2011). As a part of this project, 35,000 trees have also been
planted (UNDP, 2006). ANSA provides school lunches and snacks made from Maya nuts as a
part of the ‘Healthy Kids, Healthy Forests’ programme initiated in partnership with the
institutions. It also has a component to promote reforestation by planting two hectares of land or
2000 Maya nut trees. The programme also aims to reduce the social stigma associated with
consumption of this nut by introducing school children to a variety of edible items made from
Maya nuts. Thus children can be considered change agents influencing their parents to include
nuts in their diet and appreciate the use of these trees for purposes other than firewood. This in
turn promotes reforestation and conservation of these trees (Vohman 2014b). With the success of
this programme, the Guatemalan Ministry of Education passed a law to serve Maya nut lunches
weekly in schools and sell cookies made of Maya nut flour (Vohman and Buffle, 2011). In
addition to this, the government has provided funds to plant more Maya nut seedlings.
The success of this programme has helped the Maya Nut Institute to start such initiatives in other
countries like Colombia, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. Women
trainers from Guatemala have trained communities, especially women, in other countries to
implement similar programmes. A study conducted by Walker (2010) in southern Mexico to
understand the knowledge and use of Maya nuts by community, indicates that the majority (96
percent) of the respondents had heard about the nut but only a few community members (11
20 percent) were using it in different ways. These few respondents were either educators of the
programme offered by the Maya Nut Institute or were associated with it. Many respondents
considered the workshops of the Maya Nut Institute crucial for gaining knowledge and developing
capacity to use these nuts (Walker, 2010). Efforts are also made to train government officials in
Hondouras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, to work with the community for the sustainable harvest
and management of Maya nut trees through the Participatory Maya Nut Forest Management
programme (Vohman, 2013). Cross country sharing of learning in this context enhances the
knowledge of communities in processing and using these nuts. The programme also implicitly
benefits from the research conducted by students from academic institutions associated with the
Maya Nut Institute, in the USA, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Mexico (Vohman,
2015).
The overall impact of this programme is that it has provided food and income to 20,000 women
and girls (Vohman, 2015) in a few countries of the Latin American region. It helped to encourage
consumption of local products contributing to emission reductions from the food systems and
enabled large scale plantation of native species to strengthen carbon sinks (Maya Nut Institute,
2011). In addition to this, as the Maya nuts can be naturally preserved for up to five years and
these native trees can sustain well in the local climatic conditions, it can enhance resilience of the
community by providing food security (UNDP, 2006). This initiative not only provided explicit
benefits to communities, but helped to drive policy changes as well as gained funds from the
government to be used for mitigation and adaptation activities.
Case Study 5 – Peru: Demonstration and change to achieve energy efficiency in brick
production
SDG target 7.3 aims ‘to double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030’. With
the developing countries set to see a rise in GDP, it would be important to change the energy
intensive path that these countries are following. Thus, energy efficiency would form a crucial
component in opting for an alternative developmet path. Brick producers in Latin America are
small scale indivudual-driven enterprises that produce bricks in energy inefficient artisanal kilns
using dirty fuels including tyres or plastic, which causes pollution, GHG emissions and health
problems. In 2010, the EELA (Energy Efficiency in artisanal brick kiln in Latin America to
mitigate climate change) programme was initiated with the objective of reducing GHG emissions
and improving the quality of life. Breaking the long held traditional production practices for
achieving energy efficiency called for a dual driver for change, i.e. technology and education.
EELA's approach was not simply to introduce a modern and clean technology but also make
people believe in these technologies by educating them and making them aware of the problem
and its solution.
A pilot project under this programme is located in San Jeronimo, a district in Cusco, Peru, where
a major producer of bricks with 194 productive units and the region's second largest source of
21 GHG emission to the tune of 232,522 ton CO2/year is operating. The tools used for educating the
San Geronimo brick producers were based on the 'seeing is believing' concept. To make the
producers believe, the programme set up a clean energy efficient kiln next to their kiln and let
people see the difference. EELA also trained the president of their brick production association on
how to use a fan to stoke fire, in the use of clean fuel like saw dust, and other improved practices,
making him the model producer for change and letting others follow him. Thus, in no time, more
than 400 families joined the project and started adopting sustainable production practices. Now,
San Jeronimo acts as a demonstration site and learning school for other such clusters. The success
of the project can be measured in the 50 % emission reduction which was achieved and a law that
was formulated prohibiting the burning of tires as kiln fuel. This model is being promoted in other
countries in the Latin American region and the lessons learned through pilot projects will help to
scale up these efforts.
Case Study 6 – Nepal: Stakeholder consultation and training of local communities for
composting organic waste
Organic waste constitutes 40-65 percent of the municipal solid waste in low and middle income
countries compared to 30 percent in high income countries (UNEP, 2011). But in the case of
Nepal, organic waste constitutes 70 percent of the total waste (myclimate, 2015). It is estimated
that organic waste alone from total solid waste contributes about 5 percent of global GHG
emissions (UNEP, 2011). Reducting emissions from degrading waste therefore poses a challenge,
but it also provides an opportunity to utilize waste as a resource. In nature, the concept of waste
does not exist and the processes/systems are cyclical. Thus, the possible solution lies in changing
the linear systems of consumption and production to circular systems, thereby minimizing
negative environmental impacts. This has a potential to contribute to Goal 12 on sustainable
consumption and production patterns. In addition to the Goal 12 of SDGs, this case study also
contributes to Goal 2 which emphasizes promotion of sustainable agricultural practices.
Kathmandu deals with the issue of organic waste of the city by composting it to reduce the
pressure on the landfill site and improving farmers’ produce with its use. Biocomp Nepal and
myclimate initiated a project in 2011 in which the vegetable market waste of Kathmandu is
converted to compost over a period of four months to be used by the local community in the place
of chemical fertilizer for agriculture (UNFCCC, 2012). This model was chosen on the basis of
Biocomp Nepal’s awareness of the work done by Waste Concern and EAWAG, especially their
manual on ‘Decentralized Composting for Cities of Low-and Middle-Income Countries’. The
Waste Concern office in Bangladesh conducted a training programme for the engineers from
Nepal on the composting process, which included a field visit and ideas for scaling up of the
facility (Waste Concern, 2011).
Before implementation of the project, a consultation of stakeholders consisting of farmers, people
living in nearby areas, community leaders, land owners, local authorities, local NGOs working on
22 waste and climate change experts was conducted, wherein benefits of compost and drawbacks of
chemical fertilizers, status of waste and its effects were discussed (myclimate, 2015a). This helped
to generate support for the project. The plant in Kathmandu recruits local people and provides
them with regular training for operation and maintenance of the facility. During the pilot phase
(2011-2012), the facility produced 15 tons of compost and it has since been scaled up in 2013
(myclimate, 2015b). The input of organic compost has improved soil quality and benefitted
farmers. This project aims to reduce up to 7328 tons of carbon dioxide by the year 2022
(UNFCCC, 2012). It has also generated jobs for the local community.
Case Study 7 – Senegal: Localized communication for introducing solar cookers
Biomass fuel such as wood used for cooking not only causes health hazards but also contributes to
climate change by emission of GHGs and black carbon as well as impacts uptake of carbon
dioxide due to unsustainable harvesting of wood (Global Alliance for Clean Cookstove, 2014).
Around 40 percent of the world’s population still do not have access to clean energy for cooking
and uses biomass fuel (Stockholm Environment Institute, 2013). Goal 7 of SDGs promotes
affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. The case of Mekhe, Senegal, is an
exemplary initiative that demonstrates ways of overcoming the challenges and providing an
alternative clean energy solution for cooking.
In Sinthiou-Garba, located in the north-eastern part of Senegal, community members used cow
dung as fuel because of scarcity of firewood. Mr. Abdoulaye Toure’s concern that cow dung is a
source for vector borne disease led him to find an alternative to this cooking fuel. Mr. Toure, a
school principal, had a basic understanding of the working principle of a solar cooker/oven and
developed its first prototype in 1990. Following trials and testing of his solar cooker/oven, in 1992
he improvised his prototype (Toure in Cadasse, 2003). After the solar based technology was
developed, the challenge was to convince people to use it.
Vanschoelwinkel (2013) in her literature review suggests that projects disseminating “nontraditional stoves” including solar cookstoves have failed due to nonacceptance of new technology
by communities. In some cases, even if communities accepted a new technology, its use is not
sustained after completion of the project. It has been identified in the litreature that socioeconomic and cultural factors (e.g. purchase price, cooking outdoors, unable to cook traditional
dishes, family size) can become barriers for acceptance and use of new technology (nontraditional
cookstoves) but “communication about the product, user training and guidance” can play a
crucial role in its adoption. The study conducted by Vanschoelwinkel (2013) in rural northern
Senegal found that for the Sol Suffit project, inadequate communication related to the product solar cooker - led to people not using the product or using it only occasionally. This was because
people lacked the know-how of using the product and had very different perceptions about its use.
The communication had focused on selling the product rather than informing the customer about
the way it works and its various possibilities in using it. It is also important to highlight other
23 benefits like health and environmental, in addition to economic benefits. It was also revealed that
engaging local women in a project which introduces any new cooking technology is very
important as they are usually the end users.
Mr. Abdoulaye Toure initiated the dissemination of his solar cooking technology after some
successful experimentation. The approach he used was to demonstrate the use of solar
cooker/oven among communities. He developed the capacity of villagers to build solar
cooker/ovens locally. To promote the product, community members were trained to market it.
Women were engaged in the adoption of this new technology in two ways. They identified 30
local recipes that can be cooked using this cooker/oven. Five women who were trained in its use
were deployed to further train other women in using the solar cooker/oven. This helped to sustain
and catalyze the efforts of spreading this technology. Further, information and guidance on the
use and maintenance of the cooker was made available (SGP, GEF-UNDP, 2015). By 2003, 250
models of solar cooker/ovens developed by Toure were in use in Senegal (Cadasse, 2003).
On Mr. Toure’s proposal for implementing solar cooker/oven in Senegal, the Ministry of
Education supported his work. He is now a government official at the Ministry of Biofuels,
Renewable Energy and Scientific Research. He has played an influential role in promoting use of
solar cooking technology through television shows, conducting demonstrations and training
programme and sharing this innovative technology with neighbouring countries (Knudson, 2004).
Other organizations like the Solar Household Energy Inc. collaborated with Mr. Toure to extend
the adoption of this technology in villages near the city of Dakar (World Watch Institute, 2011).
The project led to significant environmental and socio-economic impacts. In one of the
assessments, it was found that on an average each family saved 3 metric tonnes equivalent of
carbon dioxide (SGP, GEF-UNDP, 2015). This project also helped in creating ten jobs, enhancing
the capacity of 105 women and 22 men in using a renewable source of energy (SGP, GEF-UNDP,
2015). The solar cooker/oven developed by Mr. Toure costed 76 Euros which is 3-6 times lower
than the conventional oven (Kumatoo, 2009). To enable people to buy the product, it was
subdized as well as microcredit schemes were made available. Due to these positive outcomes,
some of these villages have become learning sites for people, including government
representatives. Further, other means such as manuals, DVD movies, and articles are being used
to spread the learnings and knowledge from this project.
This project had policy level impacts too by demonstrating possibility of success in shifting to a
new and cleaner technology with effective outcomes. The government officials, convinced by the
transformation that this project has managed to achieve, decided to allocate resources to promote
research, production and use of solar energy. Mr. Toure through the implementation of his
innovation and demonstration of its impact, influenced the decision makers. In his position as a
government official, he has continued promotion and facilitation to adopt solar cooking
technology in Senegal and neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Mauritiana.
24 This example demonstrates that while ESD has direct impacts, it also influences other drivers of
change (e.g. policy) for bringing about a paradigm shift.
Case Study 8 - India: Changing the thinking in pesticide management
Farmers in Punukula, Andhra Pradesh, India, were facing the crisis of overutilization of pesticides
and were trapped in the vicious cycle of debt due to increasing use of pesticides for cotton crops.
This malady and environmental distress was stopped and turned into a virtuous circle of
sustainability by simple methods that were implemented carefully by cooperative actors. Non
Pesticide Management (NPM) is a successful initiative which was able to achieve this shift.
Education for sustainable development for non-pesticide management started with one to one
discussions between the NGO and the villagers to understand their problems. However the
change in the thinking about pest management amongst the farmers of Punukula village was a
slow process and was obtained over a period of time. It began from a farmer agreeing to use neem
seeds, and proceeded till the entire village was declared a non-pesticide village, and finally the
state taking it up as a model to be followed by other villages.
A local NGO named Socio Economic and Cultural Upliftment in Rural Environment (SECURE)
organized an exposure trip for some of the villagers to visit a village in Nalgonda district where
another NGO was helping implement NPM. This farmer to farmer exposure clicked with
Margam Mutthaiah, an influential village elder with 1.2 ha of land, who became the first to opt
for NPM. However, it was still a difficult task for the SECURE workers to convince farmers in the
village. Initially, the NGO worked with 20 farmers, with two of their extension workers training
them on NPM. The extension workers demonstrated the use of neem extract on the crops and also
showed them how to prepare the extract from neem seeds. Gradually more farmers joined the
effort, as they witnessed the positive results. Farmers were also taken on more exposure visits, and
more training programmes were held in the village. It is important to note that the success of the
effort was also because of the involvement of women Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the training
programmes. The women in the SHGs, for instance, warned their men against going to the
market for procuring pesticides, and would put pressure on them to use NPM. Once the farmers
were convinced of the efficacy of the NPM technology, the women put in extra work in procuring
material and preparing extracts for spraying. They would discuss the state of their crop in the
meetings and get extension advice about what needs to be done. Similarly, farmers’ sanghas
(groups) organized by SECURE were actively used for extension services, surveillance of crops
and active dissemination of solutions. So far, more than 200 farmers practice NPM and the
method is being taught in 27 village schools.
This non-pesticide management helped the villagers in building resilience and increased the
adaptive capacity of the farmers, as their debts were repaid, earning capacities increased, medical
bill expenses decreased and ancillary activities related to NPM initiated by women. This helped in
bringing in more financial resilience. People were able to expand their acreage of crop production,
25 pursue education, and engage in more entrepreneurial and community projects. The concept of
Non Pesticide Management is introduced as education in schools, helping it become an
established part of the village culture. All of these advances, along with the confidence engendered
by success, increased community solidarity, a stronger social support (mutual help) system, and
getting children back to school. This has made Punukula’s villagers better able to withstand the
challenges of climate change.
Case Study 9 – Thailand: Promoting cycling in Chiang Mai
In the Chiang Mai city of Thailand, the tourism sector contributes significantly to its economy.
This sector also emits a substantial share of GHGs and it was identified that the transport
activities contribute to these emissions largely. Some of the underlying reasons behind the
emissions from transport activities are inter-city transport (to and from Chiang Mai), unplanned
city expansion increasing the need for mobility, inadequate public transport and infrastructure for
non-motorized mode of transport. The challenge for Chiang Mai is to opt for an appropriate low
carbon alternative, promoting “…safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport for all”
(SDG 11).
The Chiang Mai Municipality’s interest in addressing the issue of GHG emissions from the
tourism sector could be linked to its sensitization and capacity building on climate change issues
that happened as a part of the project ‘Action Towards Resource-efficient and Low-carbon Cities
in Asia’ (2009-2013) as well as political will. The municipality chose to engage and work in
partnership with multiple stakeholders including researchers, private companies, NGOs, and
community members, to identify an appropriate mitigation option based on consultation. It was
important to engage different stakeholders as the livelihoods of many were dependent on tourism.
As stated by Wals, “…ESD can help mobilize people’s participation in sustainable development
and their problem solving capacity through processes which enable collaboration and dialogue”
(Tilbury, D. 2011). In this case, the stakeholder consultation helped to establish partnerships and
identified development of non-motorized transport (NMT) system as a suitable option to reduce
emissions from ground transport. Following this, an NMT campaign and plan for bicycle route
and side walk has been prepared. This initiative has a potential to reduce 0.6-1.56 percent of
GHGs from ground transport (Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014). In order to
promote use of NMT, various activities such as imposing speed limits on vehicles in certain areas,
introducing car free days, and exhibition to encourage cycling have been planned. The cycling
club also conducted a bicycle festival to attract more people and encourage them to use bicycles.
This project has been able to influence policy decisions for providing further commitment to
extend the NMT zone in the city. Public consultations, local language publications and
information sharing through media have raised the awareness of people on climate change and the
benefits of using NMT. The multi-stakeholder approach which was used since the beginning of
the project proved to be beneficial. Such an approach provides an opportunity for “…people to
learn from each other and collectively become more innovative and more resilient…become more
26 capable of finding solutions, withstand setbacks, of dealing with insecurity, complexity and risks.”
(UNESCO, 2014)
Case Study 10 – Vietnam: Media campaign to enlist support for sustainable tourism
Tourism is an important sector for Hue city in Vietnam, generating major economic benefits for
the residents. The challenge for the city of Hue is to promote sustainable tourism through reducing
its carbon footprint, conserving its rich cultural heritage and improving livelihood options. These
are relevant to Goals 1, 11 and 13 of SDGs. Research on the local tourism sector of the city
revealed a contribution of 0.15 million tones of CO2 from this sector alone in the city (Climate and
Development Knowledge Network, 2014). Through multi-stakeholder partnerships among
researchers, local authorities, private companies, NGOs and local residents, the city of Hue was
able to identify an option that could help in reducing GHG emissions as well as promote
livelihood generation activities. The main initiative was that garden houses, being part of the
historical culture of Hue city, was taken up for promotion as a sustainable tourism initiative.
Promoting garden houses in Hue city is a most viable solution and perfect for sustainable tourism
because of the combination of natural and local cultural heritage with the provision of income
generation. The ways in which the garden houses can help reduce GHG emissions are: they can
function better as a carbon sink compared to the new form of urban housing; organic waste
generated in the house can be recycled and used as compost; and the garden can produce local
fruits and vegetables which can help reduce dependence on the market and in turn reduce
emissions from freight transport. To reduce carbon emissions from local transport and promote
visits of tourists to these garden houses, the municipality and the garden association have plans to
encourage use of cyclo or bicycles. However, one concern that remains is whether, with the
increase in tourist influx, the carbon emissions reduction would be impacted negatively.
A variety of approaches other than consultation was used to engage stakeholders in this project. A
mass media campaign was designed which was used to attract organizations, individuals, house
owners and tourists and to encourage preservation of garden houses. Tie ups with travel agents
and development of structured tours along with a combination of non motorized transport for
visits to the garden houses are being undertaken. Organizations and garden house owners will
participate in establishing local clubs, groups and associations for the conservation and promotion
of garden houses. Organic farming is promoted in the garden houses in order to attract tourists.
All of these efforts are aimed at increasing the number of tourists.
Other promotion activities include dialogues with garden house owners and organizations
working for the restoration of garden houses, to enable them to understand the historic and
cultural value of garden houses. Broadcast of the meetings of government organizations and other
stakeholders on television contributed to local authorities’ swiftness in promoting garden houses
and developing low carbon initiatives for sustainable tourism. Through all these efforts and plans,
27 the city of Hue aims to reduce GHG emissions and simultaneously increase income and job
generation by attracting more tourists.
Case Study 11 – Ghana: Capacity building of farmers for bio-fuel production to restore
degraded land
Some of the human activities such as unsustainable agriculture land use, uncontrolled pasture
grazing, and improper soil and water management can contribute to land degradation. As
estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), land use change and
degradation contributes 20 percent to global carbon emissions. These emissions are due to
vegetation loss as well as decreased capacity of soil to store carbon (Trumper et al, 2008).
In the Gomoa East district of Ghana, the ecosystem is under threat due to unsustainable land
management practices including shift agriculture practice and illegal logging (SGP, GEF-UNDP,
2012). The project addressed these issues by introducing sustainable agro forestry practices aimed
at sustaining agriculture practices to ensure food security and biodiversity conservation. It also
provided alternative benefits such as biofuel production.
The Government of Ghana has mandated the use of a mix of conventional fuel and biofuel
through its Strategic National Energy Plan (2006) to achieve its goal for increasing the use of
renewable energy – up to 10 percent in electricity and transportation sector by 2020 (Hughes et al,
2011). As stated in the National Energy Policy ‘use of renewable energy (including biofuel) can
help Ghana to ensure energy security and climate change mitigation’ (Ministry of Energy,
Republic of Ghana, 2010). Thus, the government is encouraging use of biofuel to reduce its
dependence on conventional fuel (Agyarko, 2012). The leapfrogging aspects in this case study are
adopting sustainable land management practices and production and use of biofuel. These aspects
contribute to Goal 7 on energy and Goal 15 on sustainable land management of SDGs.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Ghana had initiated the Sunflower Project in the
1990s when many citizens of Ghana returned to the country from Libya. These participants went
through a workshop which built their capacity to plant and harvest sunflower and utilize its seeds
for biofuel production. The training had ten modules which covered topics like ‘planning and
commencement of business, effective ways of crop cultivation, weather patterns and planting
seasons, harvesting and storage, commercial aspects of business, and formation, organization, and
benefits of cooperatives’ (IOM, 2010). Following this training, participants put their skills and
lessons into practice. This effort was unsuccessful due to lack of continuous support like guidance
on storage of seeds and marketing from the facilitators of the project and lack of appropriate
market to sell the products (Modern Ghana, 1999). The other reason stated for failure of this
project was lack of inadequate scientific information regarding suitability of sunflower seeds to
local environmental conditions (e.g. soil, climate) that led to unsatisfactory/poor harvest
(Hashmiu, 2012).
28 In 2004, MoFA allotted a fund of 289 USD as a part of the Farmer Based Organizational
Development Fund to restart sunflower cultivation. The Tropical Agriculture Marketing and
Consultancy Services Sunflower Ghana (TRAGRIMACS) was a key partner in this project. It
started with the creation of Farmer Based Organizations (FBO) in 18 districts. In addition to
production of biofuel, the project also promoted the use of sunflower cake (co/by-product) that
has high protein content as feed benefiting poultry farming. A reassurance of availability of market
in European and North American countries was given. The government officials also emphasized
that strategies devised for the implementation of this project have been informed by past
experience. A stakeholder forum organized by MoFA and TRAGRIMACS highlighted these
points to generate interest among farmers to cultivate sunflower on their farm lands (Modern
Ghana, 2005). As stated by Tinsley (in Salifu and Funk, 2012), FBOs perform key functions such
as “common property management, technology development and testing, design, financing and
management of rural infrastructure, and marketing of production of inputs and farm outputs”.
Some of the reasons stated for the formation of FBOs are: effective mode for transfer of
technology, sharing farming practices and getting support in the form of loan and training from
the government agriculture extension agents and NGOs (Salifu and Funk, 2012). In this case, the
cost of training for cultivation of sunflower was covered by MoFA (Modern Ghana, 2005).
However, concerns were raised by government officials regarding transparency in implementation
of this project making farmers disinterested in this initiative (Ghana Web, 2006).
In 2008, in Gomao district of Ghana, SGP GEF-UNDP with TRAGRIMACS initiated a project
which used an integrated approach of addressing land degradation issues and simultaneously
providing additional benefits like biofuel generation. Fifty farmers were introduced and trained to
adopt the practice of sedentary farming and agro-forestry system. This solved the problem of land
degradation by avoiding the practice of shift agriculture and instead planting sunflower and
jatropha along with introduction of apiculture. The sunflower cake residue became a source of
fertilizer as well as poultry feed. A workshop was organized with experts to introduce bee keepers
and participants from NGOs to bee-keeping techniques and ways to boost honey production
(Wanted in Africa, 2008). The farmers were organized in the form of an FBO registered to sell and
trade in products (e.g. biodiesel, honey) and by-products (e.g. sunflower residual cake) from this
initiative. A processing mill and bio-diesel digester was established for production of oil and bio
diesel at Tema. Two local universities are also associated with this project, conducting research on
production of biofuels and improved agronomic practice for sunflower production (SGP, GEFUNDP, 2012).
The biodiesel generated from this initiative over two years was used for two farm tractors, which
helped to reduce 200 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emission. The sunflower residual cake
helped to avoid the use of chemical fertilizers in farms to the tune of 50-60 bags. This initiative has
helped to restore protected land (1500 ha), and 110 ha of farms have adopted sustainable
agriculture practices. This project has helped farmers to gain additional income by selling various
29 products, while utilizing by-products in their farms has led to some savings (SGP, GEF-UNDP,
2012).
The Ministry of Environment and Science, in 2009, initiated the Youth in Agriculture Programme
as a part of the National Youth Employment Programme, to encourage youth to opt for
agriculture as their livelihood (CTA Spore, 2014). Sunflower production is also considered as a
part of this programme and training is imparted for the same. A government official (Chief of
Gomoa Adzentem from the Central Region) has allotted 500 hectares of land for sunflower
cultivation to engage youth (Modern Ghana, 2009).
Case Study 12 – India: Labeling and consumer education for energy efficient appliances
According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC (2014), the building sector used
32 percent of final energy and emitted 8.8 GtCO2 (17.9 percent of total emissions) in 2010. This
includes direct and indirect emissions from residential, commercial, public and service sectors and
excludes emission accounted from construction. For India, the residential sector (includes
combustion of fossil fuel and biomass) emitted 12.6 percent of the total GHG emitted from the
energy sector in 2007 (MoEF, 2010). In Indian households, electronic devices like bulbs, ceiling
fans, refrigerators, air conditioners and televisions account for about 80 percent of the residential
electricity consumption (Boegle et al, 2010). The penetration level of these electronic items is
lower compared to the developed countries but there is steady growth in market size as well as its
consumption (Little, 2014). Thus, enhanced energy efficiency becomes a key component for the
energy management strategy in India.
The energy efficiency standard and labelling (EE S&L) programme implemented in 2006 by the
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under the Ministry of Power in India is a
good example of demand side energy management strategy. This programme has been introduced
to achieve market transformation through leapfrog in technologies in terms of making available
energy efficient products. The label on products with the scale of 1 (least efficient) to 5 stars (most
efficient) indicates energy efficiency of electronic appliances, enabling consumers to make
informed choices which can result into energy and cost saving. During initial stages of this
programme, labelling for 21 electronic appliances including air conditioners, tubular florescent
tube lights, frost free refrigerators and distribution transformers, was voluntary, but these four
items have been listed as mandatory for labelling since 2010 (BEE, 2015). This case study
highlights different the education components required for different stakeholders, from
manufacturers to consumers, engaged in the supply chain system. These components are – (i)
developing technical expertise, (ii) raising awareness of citizens and (iii) raising awareness and
training of retailers.
Several agencies like the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and
CLASP have played an important role in providing technical and financial assistance for
30 implementing the EE S&L programme in India. These agencies, in collaboration with BEE,
conducted analysis of existing products in the market, put in place facilities and test procedures,
conducted training workshops for agencies for standard setting, testing, and reporting (UN, 2007).
BEE, recognizing the importance of the need for awareness generation about EE S&L among
consumers to influence their choices, has been advertising on energy star labels through print and
electronic media. Through engagement of non-government organizations, Consumer VOICE
promotional materials in local languages were distributed. Sales executives, being the initial point
of contact for consumers, were educated about this programme through half day workshops on
National Educational/Awareness Programme on Standards and Labelling. In 2008-09, in 36
such workshops more than 2000 sales executives from different cities were educated (Chatterjee &
Singh, 2012). In 2011, an All India Showroom Campaign further used the ‘training of trainers’
strategy which engaged college students as trainers to train sales executive in nine cities. A
Showroom Salesman Training guidebook was also developed which was used by students as a
resource material (BEE, 2011).
A recent survey suggests more than 40 percent of people in the country are aware of the EE S&L
programme (Chatterjee & Singh, 2012). In 2009-10, the impact of the EE S&L programme
accounted suggests a cost saving of 260.55 million USD (1740 crore Indian Rupees) and carbon
dioxide emission prevention to the tune of 3,522,863 tonnes (Chatterjee & Singh, 2012). Success
of EE S&L depends on consumers’ awareness level. Thus, education and communication
activities play a crucial role in enhancing consumers’ understanding about labelling. In contrast,
lack of understanding and inability to interpret the label was observed among consumers in Chile
as the campaign used a single strategy a consumer handbook to educate them on product labels.
Case Study 13 – Rwanda: Training and raising awareness to create change agents to utilize
waste as a resource
Education for sustainable development converted the waste of one person into a resource for
another in Rwanda. Poor communities in Rwanda, ike many other developing countries, rely on
fuel wood as a source of energy for cooking and heating, which threatens the forests, causing
deforestation and adding tons of carbon into the atmosphere. About 80.4 per cent of energy comes
form fuel wood in Rwanda.
Organic waste is found everywhere and, if managed sustiabally, it can be an energy source. This
potential was harnessed by a women’s cooperative organization (garbage recycler) in Rwanda.
The cooprative was established in 2002 with the objective of conserving the environment by
collecting garbage. Grabage collection was effected through community involvment, and
undertaken mainly by street and sex workers. The group decided to find a way to recycle waste
and transform it into resourceful poducts, mainly as fuel, and implemented the idea of producing
briquets out of it. The process thus empowered and provided sustainable livelihood to those
involved.
31 Right from the inception of the project, training and awareness programmes were conducted at
various stages. Cooperative women groups initiated awareness raising activities on environmental
issues and waste management while the members were trained on waste recycling, briquettes
making and designing coke stoves. Through these efforts, the cooperation has not just improved
waste management in the country but also reduced emissions due to deforestation. They also
created livelihood opportunities for poor street workers, mainly women, by educating and
employing them to be an agent of change and producing a cleaner and greener source of energy.
The success of the project was such that it is now a demonstration site and has facilitated
replication of other similar projects. Such initiative reflects how ESD and empowering
communities can play a crucial role in climate mitigation.
Case Study 14 – India: Setting up of a pilot education strategy for solar pumps
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) ran a pilot project in collaboration with a
farmer in Thamna village in Anand district of Gujarat wherein a solar irrigation pump has been
installed to address the concern of poor electricity access. This pilot project not only enabled the
farmer to harness renewable energy for his own use but also in a way tried to promote judicious
use of water for irrigation (Rupera, 2016). This new technology helps the farmer to leapfrog
conventional water pump technology and by adding a financial incentive aspect – i.e selling
surplus energy generated to power distributors (Madhya Gujarat Vij Company Limited MGVCL) - this project has helped the farmer to earn a livelihood and use only the required
amount of energy and water resources. Following the success of this pilot project, IWMI helped
six farmers to form a solar cooperative society named ‘Solar Pump Irrigators Cooperative
Enterprise’ (SPICE) in Dhundi village in Kheda district of Gujarat to adopt the model of the pilot
project (Smith, 2015). The Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) in its
capacity as facilitator for SPICE, and MGVCL as an entity purchasing surplus power from
SPICE, are partners in this initiative.
IWMI is the agency that worked with farmers to develop the knowledge and disseminate
learnings to scale up the initiative. Farmers have been trained to use solar pumps and sell surplus
power to power distributors. GERMI provides technical support regarding the operation of pumps
and educates the cooperative to connect to the grid. GERMI also works with the power
distribution company (MGVCL) to educate them in setting up the process to purchase energy
from the cooperative. The partners are considering inviting farmers from Gujarat and other states
to visit the site, understand this model and implement it at other sites.
32 This initiative helps farmers to save about Rs. 20,000 annually which they would otherwise spend
on diesel, and also earn about Rs. 40,000 annually as an additional income. It is expected that
SPICE will supply 250 units of power per day to the grid which the power distributors have agreed
to buy at the rate of Rs. 4.70 per unit (Dave, 2016).
Case Study 15 – India: Mass campaign for adoption of LED bulbs on a large scale
Recognizing the potential of energy saving by LED lightings, the Government of India initiated
the National Programme for LED-based Home and Street Lighting in 2015 to distribute LED
bulbs at domestic levels and replace street lighting by LEDs, initially in 100 cities by 2016, which
would be extended to other cities by 2018. As part of this programme, the scheme Unnat Jyoti by
Affordable LEDs for All implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited, a government run
joint venture, provides four LED bulbs to consumers at a price nominal price initially and
gradually recovering the cost through consumers’ electricity bill for the next 12 months (GoI,
2015). Thus, consumers get these LED lights at a subsidized rate compared to market rates.
Provision of financial incentive overcomes the barrier of inability to purchase expensive
alternatives and forms the core strategy to encourage adoption of LED lights, but awareness
raising initiatives enables and accelerates the key objective of the programme.
The government has launched a campaign ‘I LED the way’ to raise awareness and encourage
adoption of LED lights. A website for this campaign is available with relevant information. To
create a momentum for this campaign, an initiative of taking a voluntary pledge to spread the
message to be energy efficient and reduce GHG emissions is available on the website. More than
46 million people have taken this voluntary pledge.
Citizens in the cities not yet part of the scheme in the current phase can pre-register themselves by
sharing contact details for availing LED bulbs under this scheme. Consumers can also use the
energy calculator on this website to understand the benefits and positive impacts that they are able
to create by adopting this sustainable product (GoI, 2016a). In addition to this, the Bureau of
Energy Efficiency has included LED lights under its energy efficiency standard and labelling
programme. It is on a voluntary basis until December 2016 but later it will be mandatory for
manufacturers to put these energy rating labels on their products. This further empowers
consumers by providing them the required information to make informed choices of buying an
energy efficient product (Lin, 2015).
Until August 2016, under this scheme, more than 144 million LED lights have been distributed
across India. This has helped to save 51.53 million KWh of energy per day and curbed emissions
of 41,746 tonne carbon dioxide per day (GoI, 2016b).
33 Case Study 16 – Ethiopia: Transferring skills and empowering local community for degraded
land management
Human activities like unsustainable agriculture land use, uncontrolled pasture grazing, and
improper soil and water management can contribute to land degradation. As estimated by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), land use change and degradation
contributes 20 percent to global carbon emissions (Trumper, K., Ravilious, C., and Dickson, B.
2008). These emissions are due to vegetation loss as well as decreased capacity of soil to store
carbon. Goal 15 of SDGs calls to “protect, restore, promote sustainable use of terrestrial
ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss”.
The Abrha Weatsbha village in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, already a vulnerable land as it is a
sandstone area, suffered from land degradation due to deforestation, and inadequate land and
water management practices. This has impacted agriculture activities and livelihoods of people.
The government opted for a decentralizated approach to sustainably manage land, water and
other natural resources and introduced a practice called micro-catchment ecosystem management
in a few villages with similar problems. The Abrha Weatsbha village, learning lessons from this
model, initiated their own similar Abrha Weatsbha Natural Resource Management project
focused on agro-ecology. Thus, the approach of decentralization and a new management practice
formed the core strategy to address this issue differently. The educational component in this
project is facilitation from the agriculture Ministry’s extension system through knowledge
management and technical capacity building for farmers and pastoralists. The activities
undertaken by the community are tree plantation, construction of infrastructure (dams, wells,
water catchment ponds) for water conservation, and controlled land grazing. Community
participation at various stages of this project (planning, implementation and monitoring) also
played a key role in achieving success. The community has also developed local rules looking at
fair distribution of water and land grazing resources. Education and training helped in transferring
skills to women in livestock production, forestry, soil conservation, agriculture and horticulture. It
also helped to gain community participation to work collaboratively in addressing issues.
This project has some tangible positive outcomes. Regeneration of vegetation and water
conservation practices have helped to recharge groundwater. Water is now available in wells used
for irrigation which has helped to increase crop yields. Some of the observable changes in the
attitude of people are retaining and planting native species and taking voluntary action for
conserving grazing lands. Plantation activities have helped conservation of soil, arrested soil
erosion and enhanced its capacity to hold carbon. The community has benefited from sustaining
its livelihoods (dependent on agriculture and livestock), enhanced water and food security, and
improved health due to consumption of a variety of nutritious food products. All these have
increased the overall resilience capacity of the community as well as empowered women (UNDP.
2012).
34 At the policy level, this project has helped to mobilize financial resources from the government to
implement this approach in other parts of the country. It has also facilitated adoption and spread
of the use of ponds and shallow wells for irrigation as recommended by the government. This
village is a learning site for academic and other institutions to understand sustainable land
management practice and it also acts as a centre to train framers from the other regions (UNDP.
2012). Success of this project has encouraged other regions of the country to adopt this model of
‘regreening’ which has made significant progress. In 2014, Ethiopia pledged “to restore a further
15m hectares of degraded land…by 2030” at the UN Climate Change Summit in New York
(Vidal, J. 2014).
Case Study 17- Honduras: Decentralization of water services through strengthening village
committees
In water systems, there are several processes such as sourcing water; its storage, transfer,
treatment, and distribution to end users; its use and wastewater treatment. Energy use and GHG
emissions are associated with each stage of these processes. For a country like the USA, the
energy used in water systems (excluding wastewater treatment) emits “…5 percent of the nation’s
overall emissions which is comparable to carbon dioxide produced annually by 53 million cars”
(Huron River Watershed Council. 2014)3. In the year 2013, globally 783 million people did not
have access to clean water (UN-Water, 2013)4 and Goal 6 of SDGs advocates for “…universal
and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all” (United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs, 2015)5. The challenge remains for countries to ensure availability of
clean water for all citizens through less carbon intensive options/systems.
The government of Honduras, to achieve their target for provision of access to potable drinking
water to 95 percent of the population, chose the decentralization approach. Village level
3
Huron River Watershed Council. 2014. The Carbon Footprint of Domestic Water Use in the Huron
River Watershed. Available from http://www.hrwc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Carbon-Footprintbrochure_single-pages.pdf, last accessed 24 October, 2015.
4
UN-Water, 2013, Facts and Figures, available from http://www.unwater.org/water-cooperation2013/water-cooperation/facts-and-figures/en/, last accessed 24 October, 2015.
5
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2015, Sustainable Development Goals,
available from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300, last accessed 24 October, 2015.
35 committees have been formed for water management. Members of the village committees close to
a national park formed the Association of Water Committees of the Southern Sector of Pico
Bonito National Park (AJAASSPIB) to address the issue of water availability in the region. The
local water sources are threatened due to human activities like deforestation and unsustainable
agriculture activities. AJAASSPIB’s aim is to collaboratively address the issue by sharing
resources, expertise and management responsibilities, and sustaining its work by collecting user
fees from households. AJAASPIB is a 27 member committee with the staff responsible for
planning and managing implementation activities to ensure availability of water to communities.
Activities include maintenance of infrastructure by engineers/plumbers, engaging community,
coordinating and facilitating meetings with different stakeholders and training and capacity
building for reforestation. The association uses micro-watershed management to improve and
maintain quality of water reaching the households. Water purification is effected in community
level tanks using chlorination tablets. It has also planted native plants to improve forest cover
which provides ecosystem services (freshwater).
This initiative has benefited 11,000 people through provision of clean water. This helped the
community to avoid expenses on packaged drinking water which is an expensive option. The
community paid USD 1.50 as monthly user charges to get water, which is better than getting only
25 gallons of bottled water for the same price (UNDP, 2012)6. The association succeeded in
raising awareness about water conservation and protecting forests to be able to get water. An
environmental fund has also been established for reforestation and environment education
activities. The success of AJAASPIB’s work has led to a formal arrangement for it to work with
the Municipality of Olanchito for conserving and managing watershed and providing water to the
city, for which it would be paid. The association, in collaboration with partners (e.g. CARE), is
working to introduce water meters in households. It has become an exemplary initiative and 80
village water committees are using this model.
Case Study 18 – Nigeria: Campaign and capacity building for adoption of an alternative
cooling system for farm products
More than 80 percent of global food loss and waste occurs at different stages like production,
handling and storage, and consumption (Lipinski, B., Hanson, C., Lomax, J., etal., 2013). Thus,
energy used at each stage as well as degradation of food waste produces GHG emissions. As
estimated, GHG emissions (carbon dioxide equivalent) from food loss and waste were between
3,300-5,600 million metric tonnes (Lipinski, B., Hanson, C., Lomax, J., et al., 2013). For
developing countries, most of the food lost and waste occurs during agriculture production and in
6
UNDP. 2012, Association of Water Committees of the Southern Sector of Pico Bonito National Park,
Honduras,
Equator
Initiative
Case
Study,
available
from
http://equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=winner_detail&id=34&Itemid=683
&lanl=en, last accessed 24 October, 2015
36 the supply chain (Lipinski, B., Hanson, C., Lomax, J., etal., 2013). The challenge lies in reducing
food loss and waste at pre consumption stage and “...ensure sustainable food production
systems…” as stated in Goal 2 of SDGs (United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, 2015). This case highlights the use of an alternative and low carbon cooling technology
that helped reduce food waste and the role of education in obtaining acceptance of this cooling
system in Northern Nigeria.
The food produce of the Nigerian farmers spoil before it reaches the supply chain as they do not
use cooling systems due to lack of electricity and inadequate infrastructure for fast transfer of these
products. To avoid produce spoilage and to sustain themselves economically, these farmers sell
their produce at a very low rate.
Mr. Mallam Mohammed Bah Abba developed and introduced an alternative cooling system
called ‘pot-in-pot’ that could help farmers store their produce for a longer time. This simple
technology based on the evaporative cooling principle is developed using locally available material
such as earthen/clay pots and some wet sand. A small pot is placed in a larger pot and the space
in between these pots is filled with wet sand. The items placed in the small pot could be stored for
a longer time due to the cooling effect of the system. Initially, to introduce communities to and
generate demand for this new cooling system produced with the help of locally unemployed
people, Mr. Abba distributed it free of cost. But, to generate acceptance of this new product, an
educational campaign was introduced highlighting the benefits of using the cooling system. Local
pottery makers are engaged to produce these pots. Mr. Abba hired and trained five people to sell
this new and simple technology in various villages. To sustain this effort, Mr. Abba and his family
made financial investments in the venture as well as received support from the government and
UNDP. The Intermediate Technology Development Group and the University of Al Fashir in
Sudan came to know about the success of this initiative and studied the potential of this system for
food conservation. After this successful assessment, this pot-in-pot technology was introduced in
Sudan.
This cooling system has been successful in storing a variety of products including vegetables, crops
and meat for a longer time and reducing food waste. The farming households in Northern Nigeria
are not only able to consume these products but also sell them in the market at a reasonable price,
thereby improving their income. As the shelf life of the produce increases, children (especially the
girl child) are exempted from selling products immediately and spend time in gaining education. It
is cost effective and 90,000 pots have been sold during 1999-2005. It has provided employment to
local people engaged in manufacturing pots. The pot-in-pot technology has been adapted in
Eritrea, India, Haiti and Honduras to preserve medical products such as insulin, thus benefiting
the remote rural communities (Oluwasola, O., UNDP, 2011).
Case Study 19 – Mexico: Education to gain support for green urban planning
37 Cities contribute 75 percent to the global carbon dioxide emissions. The high levels of emissions
are attributed to energy use from transport sector, buildings and industries. As estimated in 2014,
54 percent of the world’s population resides in urban centres and it is expected that 12 percent of
population would be added to this number by 2050 (United Nations, 2014). Cities keep expanding
to fulfil the demands for basic services of residents. The estimated increase in urban population
suggests a comparable rise in energy use and GHG emissions. The key to keep emissions lower is
to design cities in such a way that energy use reduces. Urban planning plays a crucial role in
determining the energy use and GHG emissions of cities. It can contribute to achieve Goal 11 of
SDGs to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” (UNEP,
2015). This case study highlights the implementation of a comprehensive plan by decision makers
in the city to bring about change in the functioning of various systems, thereby reducing GHG
emissions. The education and communication component of this programme aimed to influence
the attitude and behaviour of people and gain support for the implementation of activities.
Mexico introduced the Green Plan in 2008 with mitigation and adaptation strategies, in order to
address the issue of climate change. The aim was to encourage people to take action and reduce
GHG emissions to 7 million tons in 5 years (Benignos, R. A., 2010). Inputs from various
stakeholders (through meetings) were taken into consideration in formulating this plan. The plan
focused on land conservation, public spaces, water, energy, transport, water supply, sanitation and
solid waste. Adaptation and education formed an important component of this plan. Some of the
activities under the Climate Action Programme (part of the Green Plan) included establishing a
certification system for green buildings, promoting energy efficiency, encouraging water
conservation, improving infrastructure to treat wastewater, provision of good public transport and
non-motorized transport systems, promoting waste recycling and encouraging use of compost.
Educational activities included conducting seminars for raising awareness on- climate change
issues, efficient use of resources and promotion of measures related to adaptation and mitigation
(Mexico City Climate Action Programme 2008-2012).
Some of the achievements of this plan are introduction of a public bicycle system and Metrobus
Rapid Transit System used by many people; new housing units established with solar panels; and
urban reforestation to create green space in the city (New York City Global Partners, 2012). As a
result of this plan and its implementation, the city was able to reduce 6 million tons carbon
dioxide equivalent emissions (Climate Action Program, 2014-2020). This success has led to the
extension of the Climate Action Programme (2014-2020) with a target to reduce 8 million tons of
carbon dioxide equivalent by 2020 (Climate Action Program, 2014-2020). There has been an
important addition - “containment of urban sprawl” - in the strategy for this programme. The
education and communication component has been retained as a crucial factor for the
implementation of the programme.
Case Study 20 – Phillipines: Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for
GHG emission mitigation in agriculture
38 Agriculture is a sector that contributes significantly to global GHG emissions. As estimated by the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, carbon dioxide equivalent emissions
from crop and livestock production saw a rise of 14 percent in a decade (2001-2011) (Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2014). To address the issue of GHG emissions
reduction, one of the possible options suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) is the use of suitable sustainable agriculture practices such as integrated annual
crop-animal systems (Smith, P., D. Martino, Z. Cai, D. Gwary, H. et al, 2007). Goal 2 of SDGs
also promotes sustainable agriculture (United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, 2015). Education, communication, training and capacity building play an important role
in sharing knowledge and bringing about change in agriculture practices. ICT can catalyze the
process of knowledge sharing and can help in adoption of sustainable agriculture practices. This
case highlights the use of an electronic platform - e-Extension - as an alternative to conventional
extension for sharing relevant knowledge and information.
In Philippines, an e-Extension programme has been initiated in 2007 with the aim of providing
advisory services to people whose livelihood is dependent on agriculture, fisheries and natural
resources. It is a collaborative initiative of the Agricultural Training Institute and Department of
Agriculture. Different components of this programme, as mentioned on their website, are elearning, e-farming, and e-trading. In addition to getting advice from the experts, this platform has
proved to be very useful in exchanging knowledge and skills among different stakeholders through
interaction. This programme also offers online learning and training opportunities. It also provides
an option of blended courses which are combination of online, field work and face-to-face
learning methods. An example of an online course offered on sustainable agriculture in 2012
covered a variety of topics such as natural farming systems; rice duck integrated farming system;
and organic rice breeding. Stakeholders can get expert advice on business profitability,
information about traders and investors, and information about market prices, producers and
suppliers. This programme also supports queries based on calls as well as mobile messages from
farmers and fishers (The World Bank, 2011).
Some numbers regarding the use of e-Extension can help to understand the impact of this
programme. As estimated in 2012, there were about 10,000 registered users of the e-learning site
which offered 25 online courses. More than 35,000 queries received through messages and calls
were related to organic agriculture, fisheries and e-learning (The World Bank, 2011).
Case Study 21- Cuba: Decentralized production of building materials through empowering
local communities
Housing sector consumes a great amount of natural resources. It uses energy and emits GHGs
during its construction and operation phases. As accounted, buildings use more than 40 percent of
energy and emit about 30 percent of global GHGs (UNEP, 2009). For developing countries, it is
39 estimated that more than 800 million people are residing in slums (Building and Social Housing
Foundation, 2007). Thus, the challenge that lies ahead is in providing “…adequate, safe and
affordable housing..” as stated in Goal 11 of SDGs, but also coming up with alternative solutions
for making the process of construction and operation of buildings less carbon intensive. This case
study highlights the efforts of Cuba in the provision of basic and affordable housing facilities made
from locally sourced sustainable building material. The key education components in this project
are involvement of a higher education institute to develop alternative solution and transfer of
knowledge, skills and technology of building material to local community through training.
During the special period (the 1990s) Cuba experienced a deficit of fossil fuels and in turn its
economy was negatively affected. This led the country to come up with alternative low carbon
solutions and reorient systems in various sectors like agriculture, transport and housing. The
Centre for Research and Development of Structures and Construction Materials (CIDEM, earlier
part of the University and currently an independent research centre) has been active since 1991 in
developing and promoting alternative solutions. It developed low embodied energy building
materials like micro-concrete roofing tile (MCR), lime-pozzolana cement (CP-40), pre-cast hollow
concrete blocks (Portland cement partially replaced by CP-40), gravel and sand suitable for use in
concrete, and low energy fired clay bricks using bio-waste as a fuel (Building and Social Housing
Foundation, 2007). In the preparation of lime-pozzolana cement, sugarcane bagasse ash is used
(Hernandez, 2013), which requires less than half embodied energy compared to the conventional
Portland cement (Building and Social Housing Foundation, 2007). Thus, it has low carbon
emissions. Community level workshops have been established and CIDEM trains and guides
residents in producing these building materials. These materials manufactured at the local level
are supplied to the local market. The municipalities play a role in providing financial resources
and managing the process of manufacturing and marketing. As these products for housing are
manufactured and sold at local level, it reduces the energy input required for transportation of
materials. The system of housing in Cuba has gradually shifted from a very centralized model that
existed in the pre-special period to a low carbon decentralized model.
The success of this model influenced decision makers to appoint CIDEM as an advisor on
housing policies. This project has also helped to mobilize financial resources through a national
programme aimed to create decentralized facilities for manufacturing sustainable building
materials. In addition to environmental benefits, the project generated significant socio-economic
benefits too. There are 48 municipalities that facilitate production of local building materials
(CIDEM, 2011). From 2010-2011, 5,300 houses were constructed using this building material.
About 138 building material manufacturing units have been set up which provide means of
livelihood to many people. Three training centres have been established in universities. This
model of developing sustainable building material has been adopted by countries in Latin
America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia (CIDEM, 2011).
Analysis and Discussion
40 The case studies in this paper demonstrate examples of educational interventions that have
accompanied other measures such as a change in policy, new financial mechanisms, introduction
of new technologies and changing systems of distribution and doing business. Education in each
of these cases enhances the effectiveness and in many cases is essential for the leapfrogging,
scaling up and sustaining of the efforts.
We see a variety of educational methods used. These include mass education awareness
campaigns, using demonstrations, person-to-person communication, training and capacity
building, stake holder engagement and consultation, forming knowledge networks, valuing
traditional knowledge and making institutional arrangements for sharing and adaptation of
innovative ideas. The processes have involved documenting experiences and organizational
learnings.
There is a strong case for more research on the role of education and its cost benefits compared to
alternative methods to bring about the transformation towards Sustainable Development.
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